Eating America #2 – Picadillo (Homemade Mexican)

#2 Picadillo

Picadillo can be found in Mexico, as well as in other Latin American cultures, Spain, and in the Philippines. They all derive from a Spanish dish, but has been adapted to meet the needs of the local people. Filipinos, for example, often eat it with rice, which is something Mexicans never do.  Mexicans, like with many other meals, like to eat it with tortillas on the side (pictured). Like menudo, it boasts a very rich broth, definitely not as fatty or thick, but still too salty for some blander taste buds. The main meat is ground beef which is cooked in chunks that often fall apart during the cooking process. However, this mix of big chunks and smaller pieces makes it so that you have a slightly different texture with every spoonful, which enhances the taste in my opinion.  The other main ingredients are onions (cut into slices) and Italian or Mexican squash which is cut into slices that gets soggy in the broth.

Picadillo 2

While picadillo has always been common in my house, I don’t think I have ever seen it in a restaurant. It is possible that it was there, and I just wasn’t looking. Similar to menudo, to make it worthwhile, you probably should make a big pot for the entire family with the intent of having leftovers for days to come. The picadillo I got was once again made by the fantastic cook that is my mom. It was left over from a day or two ago and still had an amazing taste. One of the greatest things I love about Mexican food is that it tastes almost as good re-heated than fresh out of the pot. Pizza, burgers, fries, and fried chicken all taste terrible re-heated, but somehow, all Mexican food prevails!

 

Picadillo - Eating America
Tortillas are eaten with pretty much any Mexican soup, was well as many other non-soup dishes.
Julio Moreno
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